Inspiration

There are many times as a creative person I feel slightly starved for inspiration.  I'm an old lady now and being a grown up often means that you have to perform routine tasks because your paycheck depends on it.  

You lack the ability to just twirl around in the living room because it's 8:43am on a Thursday.  

There are many days on my commute, when I'm rushing around town, or ridiculously busy that I just want to stop and sit.  I just want to drink coffee and breathe.  I want to focus on what's happening around me instead of what I have to do to make it all happen.

There are many, many, many days I'm jealous of my students who have time to sit in that swing and stare at the Pasquostank (even though it's a tad stinky and one must dodge the geese).  It's probably a good thing my office isn't in the library.  

These moments when I get to sit and blog and work my brain a little are a lovely escape for me.  I never quite know what's going to come out when I start typing.  Sometimes there are moments of revelation (seriously?  Broke Eye Baby was Divine, ya'll), moments of reflection, moments of observations, and moments of nothing special.  

But they are my moments.  

Sometimes we creative folks tend to make it too hard.  We want our work to display the next big thing, the next inspiring thought, the next important song, the next thing that will matter to more than 2 people.  

Instead of enjoying the process we focus solely on the product.  

We all need to step back and enjoy the ebb and flow.  Sometimes we won't have inspiring thoughts or things of value to say.  In those moments we need to just be quiet and enjoy the silence.  We need to take the time to rest our minds and let life happen.  

Because we all know when we let life happen inspiring things occur.  

You simply cannot force art.  

Emily over at Chatting at the Sky (probably my favorite blogger second only to Pioneer Woman) has been writing a lot recently about the desire of the artist.  You really need to check out this lady.  I swear if I knew her in real life we'd be best friends.  Or at least good friends.  Or friendly acquaintances.